Price of Freedom
by Butterfly Harvester
Summary: After graduating from the academy, Abigail Spears has taken a job as a reaper.  She soon realizes that London is under the threat of a demon.  Will she be foolish enough to try to handle it herself?
1. Chapter 1

_Title: Price of Freedom_

_Summary: After graduating from the academy, Abigail Spears has taken a job as a reaper. She soon realizes that London is under the threat of a demon. Will she be foolish enough to try to handle it herself?_

_Notes: Another companion to my two other longer Kuro fics, First Cut and Academic Success. Firstly, I'd like to thank Aquilla Moore for the help she gave me as I toyed with the ideas in my head. Secondly, I think I might try something new, like some chapters with the reapers and some with the demon. Or perhaps more like this first one._

_I do hope my title doesn't sound as threatening as I think it is. I couldn't decide on several, and going through my iPod I found a piece from a video game entitled Price of Freedom and the more I thought, the more I realized it does kind of fit. With Abigail being on her own, she doesn't have her parents to rely on 24/7. Anyway, enough of my ramblings for now._

_Chapter 1_

Smoke twisted and coiled through the starry night sky as two figures stood on the lawn of the burning house. The shorter of the two stared at the blaze with shock and horror written on her face as the taller one stood by her side, hands clasped behind her back.

Suddenly, the shorter one broke the silence. She reared back and slapped the taller one as hard as she could. "You weren't supposed to do it this way!" she shrieked. As she pulled back her hand again, the taller one grasped her wrist to prevent another slap to her face.

A twist of her wrist left the shorter female whimpering in pain. "You dare, Katherine?" she asked, her eyes narrowing to blue slits. "You dare lay a hand on me?"

There was a chuckle from Katherine. "You do realize, Tatianna, that your contract is complete?" She gestured with a gloved hand towards the burning house. "Evelyn is dead, just as you wished for."

Tatianna bit her lip to keep from crying. Once she had calmed herself enough to speak to her demon maid, she said, "I wanted her dead yes, but not Albert too!"

Katherine let out another chuckle. "Humans are so foolish," she whispered, running her hands through her long hair. "It does not matter whether or not you wanted that man for yourself anymore. So truly, it really did not matter if he lived or died while you took your revenge."

Tatianna's eyes widened in shock as she began to understand Katherine's words. "You – You're – "

"A demon to the core?" Katherine asked with a sinister smile. "You do not think ahead, so I used that to my own advantage."

Tatianna began to cry now, her tears leaving black soot trails down her face. She knew deep down this was all her fault and no one else was to blame, but she did wish to blame the demon in front of her. When she made the contract with Katherine to get rid of a woman who had wronged her, she had wished to get back together with Albert. She did not expect Katherine to have plans on her own.

She stared at the demon before her, taking in everything. The long red hair so dark it was nearly black, the red eyes that shown with hunger, the long black fingernails as she removed her gloves. The dark blue dress she wore as Tatianna's maid was spotless, as though no little speck of soot or ash dare land on her.

Katherine sighed at the sight of her former mistress curled up on the grass, crying and whimpering. She could not wait to be free of this spoiled woman and of her silly maid dresses. She was starving and tired of being a servant. After Tatianna, she decided that perhaps she would not take a master for a little while.

Yes, Katherine decided as she left the burning house and Tatianna's corpse several minutes later, she would be a free demon for a while. Licking her lips, she cackled to herself and slipped into the dark night.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, across London in a small one bedroom apartment, Abigail Spears lay restless in her bed. She and her parents had spent the past few days moving her possessions into her new apartment after work. She had been excited to move out and be on her own. While she loved her parents dearly, she was more than ready to flee the nest.<p>

She rolled over on her side and stared out the window. A small smile appeared on her face as she wondered if her mother was having trouble falling asleep as well. While William had been encouraging, Annabelle was fearful. She had all but demanded that Abigail stay with them. Abigail was certain her father had something to do with that. Even promises of visits, and the reminder that they would see each other every day at work did not seem to soothe her very much.

For the past week or so, Abigail had tried to determine why her mother was acting how she was. Abigail had always been her father's girl and not as close to her mother. That was the only possible reason she could come up with.

With a loud groan she rolled back over on her back. As she stared at the ceiling she thought, _'This is ridiculous. I have work in the morning!' _To her, everything seemed to be too quiet. It was not like living with her parents was the loudest of things but they were were always nearby.

"That's it!" she said to the empty room. She could not find sleep because the comfort of knowing her mother and father were right down the hall no longer existed. She shut her eyes, frowning and trying to will sleep to come to her. Not having her parents by her side was something she would just have to get used to.

Despite her best efforts to summon sleep, it took her nearly an hour to fall asleep. She slept until the first light of day. After getting up, she bathed, dressed, and hurried out the door just as she would have done if she were with her parents.


	2. Chapter 2

_Price of Freedom_

_I'm glad Katherine is appealing! You'll definitely find out more about her soon enough._

_Chapter 2_

Abigail stood with her back casually against the wall of a small shop, her ledger open in her hand. She had studied her list of the souls to collect carefully, but she wanted to be certain of where she had to be that day.

Her week so far had been monotonous. She had not heard anything from General Affairs on whether her custom death scythe had been approved or rejected. She had filled out the application as soon as she was allowed to work on her own.

A tug at her hand tore her from her thoughts. She looked down and found herself staring into a pair of large green eyes. "Excuse me," the little girl said softly, her bottom lip quivering. "I can't find my mommy."

"Uh..." Abigail was not quite sure how to handle this situation. She did not even intend to stand against the wall long enough to be noticed but this small girl certainly had. She glanced down at her watch, not even sure she had time to help a child search for her mother.

Her eyes roamed around the streets, biting her lip. The little girl now clung to her hand, pulling on her golden curls with her other hand. Abigail sighed softly to herself and squatted to the girl's level. "Where was she last?" The girl let her curly hair loose and pointed down the street towards a small bookshop. "Let's go then."

As they neared the bookshop, they could hear a woman calling for her daughter, Sara. Sara released Abigail's hand and hurried to her mother. Before the sounds of the woman's scoldings could reach her, Abigail had slipped down a small side street, leaving Sara bewildered as to where her savior had vanished.

"That was quite kind of you."

Abigail jumped at the sound of the familiar voice but smiled as she spotted Undertaker leaning against one of the coffins outside his shop. "Hello Undertaker," she said. "I wouldn't call that "kind". I did nothing."

"Ah, but you did hold her hand~" he said, absently brushing a bit of dirt from the coffin he was leaning against. Abigail scowled at Undertaker, which seemed to amused him.

"Undertaker," she said with another look at her watch, "I really need to go..."

"Of course," he said, dismissing her with a wave. "Come back soon~ Oh, and tell your parents I said hello."

"I will," Abigail told him before she hurried down the street. She was worried about being late, having heard for years that it is important to reach a soul before a demon does. She had never encountered a demon before but her father's dislike of them made her worried about meeting one.

_'The things that stay with you from childhood,' _she thought to herself.

Her day was free of demons, but it was not exactly uneventful. An older man, despite knowing that he was dying, was willing to fight in an attempt to live longer. He had tried to scratch and shove her away but all he managed to do was remove one of her gloves. She retrieved it from underneath his bed after collecting his soul, putting it on with a sigh.

A carriage accident had caught the attention of several passersby. _'Humans,' _she thought. _'Always ready to stop and stare but hardly willing to lift a hand.'_

She managed to slip through the crowd unnoticed. Collecting the first and second souls was not difficult, but the third person, a young man in his mid twenties, was trapped under the carriage. As she knelt beside him, she heard a few people from the crowd warning her to be careful, that there was nothing she could do.

"Don't worry about me," she whispered, piercing the man's chest with her scythe. She reviewed his cinematic records, marked all of her pages as _Completed, _and left the humans alone to stare at the spot she had left in the blink of an eye.

Thankfully for Abigail, the rest of the souls on her list were easy to get. She stretched as she returned to the dispatch to do her paperwork before heading home for the night. As she passed her father's office, she paused, then knocked once at the door.

"Come in."

She slipped inside, shutting the door quickly behind her. She quickly crossed the room to plant a kiss on William's cheek. "Where's Mom?" she asked. "I wanted to see you both before going home."

"I believe she's still wandering around London," William replied.

Abigail fidgeted for a moment then asked, "How has she been?"

William thought for a moment and then said, "Restless I'd say. She isn't too thrilled to have you away from home but she seems to accept it."

"Good," Abigail murmured. "Would you tell her I said good night?" she asked. When William nodded, she kissed his cheek again. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night Abigail."

* * *

><p>Katherine lurked among the shadows, idly watching the humans who wanted nothing more to get home to a nice, hot meal. Her maid dresses had been burned to fine ashes, and she had enjoyed that very much. Now she wore simple, dark clothing. Trousers, boots, shirt, coat, gloves, and a hat to hide her face. While she did not mind standing out in this crowd of possible meals, she did not want to draw <em>too <em>much attention to herself. She would later find herself purchasing several different outfits, all with Tatianna's money. _She _certainly had no use for it!

Katherine was starving. That prissy, spoiled girl had done little to soothe her appetite. But the fun was not in the meal, it was in the chase.


	3. Chapter 3

_Price of Freedom_

_Who wouldn't love a shopping spree with their old mistress's cash? I wanted to change the start of this chapter up a little bit. I don't think I'll get complaints though. Next chapter, however, is my favorite so far, can't wait for that one._

_Chapter 3_

Annabelle sat on an old rocking chair on the back porch of an old house nearly covered by ivy, her ledger open in her lap. She had collected the soul of the inhabitant, vaguely wondering how long it would take someone to find the old woman. Finding the spot to be secluded, she decided to take the time to make sure her death list was in order.

The old chair creaked as she settled down, her long black braid falling over her shoulder. Once satisfied, she closed her ledger and left the old house and creaky old chair behind her.

As she rejoined the pedestrians on the crowded mid-afternoon streets, she tucked her ledger away and wondered what she would do for the next half hour. In the middle of the crowd, she suddenly shivered. Though she could not point out the exact cause of the sudden reaction, she nonetheless pulled her suit jacket a little tighter and quickened her pace. Something was wrong among that group of people and she did not want to stay near enough to find out.

She glanced over her shoulder before ducking down a less crowded street, now with the feeling of someone watching her. Narrowing her eyes, she hoisted herself on the roof of the nearest building, opting to take the quickest way to the next soul on her list, no longer wanting to pass time idly.

* * *

><p>Abigail shook her head, forcing her hair out of her face. It had begun to rain as she waited outside a large manor. She hated being caught in the rain. Her wait was not long, but it was long enough to Abigail. When the person intended to die, a seventeen year old girl, headed for the staircase, Abigail left the window she had been watching through and climbed up to the roof.<p>

She let herself in through a window a servant had not yet gotten around to closing. Slipping down the hall, Abigail ducked into the furthest bedroom. It turned out to be Tanya Everett's room. The teenager was quite sickly and often took naps in the afternoons. It was something the house servants and her family had grown used to.

Abigail shut the door behind her with a faint click. The room was decorated in a soft mint green, and under the mint bedspread she spotted Tanya. She had fallen asleep quickly, her deep, even breathing giving that away.

Stepping closer to her, Abigail realized Tanya was sleeping fitfully. She whimpered and moaned, a frown at her lips. Her fingers stretched as though reaching for something. Without a sound, Abigail stabbed her with her death scythe, watching as her cinematic record revealed itself to her.

A small baby, bundled in a light purple blanket, lay crying as doctors stood over her. A small girl wearing a frilly blue dress sat to the side as several small children played. She held a matching parasol and was pouting. An older woman, no doubt her mother, leaned next to her and whispered something. The young Tanya turned away from her, her bottom lip quivering.

As the memories before her changed into an older girl walking around the yard by herself, Abigail froze. She thought she heard footsteps. With a scowl, she listened, half her attention on the record before her, as someone, most likely a maid, came down the hall but went into the room next to Tanya's. Hurriedly, Abigail marked Tanya's picture as _Completed _then opened the window and slipped outside, pulling it shut again with her scythe.

Just as she landed with a splash in a filthy puddle, she could faintly hear the maid calling for Tanya's parents.

Abigail was soaked, her shoes and pants muddy, but that did not bother her. As she raced back to London, her thoughts turned to her mother. It had been nearly a week since she had moved into her own apartment but she had hardly seen her mother at all. Perhaps she was avoiding her?

No, that could not be possible. Annabelle would never avoid her daughter, Abigail was sure of it.

Abigail saw no one until she stood in the doorway of the dispatch, dripping onto the floor. At first she heard a sigh and then, "Abigail, you aren't going to ever learn to wear a cloak when it rains are you?"

"Mom!" Abigail quickly embraced her mother adding as she did, "I was just thinking about you."

"Whatever for?" Annabelle asked, stroking her daughter's hair.

Instead of asking if she had been avoiding her, either directly or indirectly, since she had moved out, Abigail instead asked, "Why didn't you want me to move out on my own?"

Annabelle sighed softly. "I don't think I'm ready to let go yet."

Abigail was surprised by that answer. Of all things that had gone through her mind, the fact that her mother had simply not wanted to let her go on her own had not occurred to her. "I've been worried you're not happy with me," Abigail said against Annabelle's neck, her voice sounding like that of a young child.

Annabelle gently held her daughter at arm's length. "Do you think you could possibly do anything to have me get angry with you?"

Abigail thought for a moment, then smiled. "Well there was my fighting with Akane..."

"Other than that?" Annabelle asked, smiling with Abigail.

Abigail thought for a moment and then decided that she could come up with nothing she could do that would make Annabelle mad. She hugged her mother again and then said, "I think we shouldn't stand here anymore. We're making a big puddle."

Annabelle smiled and walked Abigail to the office she shared with several other young Shinigami. At the door Abigail paused. Finally she found the words she wanted to say.

"I can always visit."

Annabelle blinked in surprise then nodded. "I know. But a visit is different than having you there all the time." She kissed her daughter on the cheek and then left her to do her paperwork. Abigail found it much easier to concentrate knowing that her mother was not angry with her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Price of Freedom_

_Glad Annabelle and Abigail are on the same page? You should be! Quick question, anyone want to see Reed again?_

_Chapter 4_

Since her little talk with her mother, Abigail found herself able to sleep better and had been told once or twice there was a slight spring in her step. She had not realized how her concerns had weighed on her mind.

The first person on her list to collect was a man named Frank Jenkins. She had studied her list the night before and felt that her first soul of the day would be a simple one to collect. Humans falling from high spaces, this one from a tree, was never much of a problem.

Upon reaching the spot where he was to fall, she paused. Something was not right. Frank lay on the ground quite still. She stepped towards him, checking her watch and wondering if she had been late. No, she was right on time.

He certainly appeared to be dead, but she was not even sure he had started to climb up the tree yet. With a nervous glance, Abigail made sure she was by herself, then she stabbed him with her death scythe.

Instead of his cinematic records emerging like they should, nothing happened. A nervous moan escaped her lips as Abigail stood rooted on the spot. Something was definitely wrong, she knew it now. This man, whose soul she was supposed to collect in four minutes, was dead when she reached him. He also appeared to be missing his soul. What was she supposed to do now?

_'Dad,' _she decided. _'He'll know.'_

Abigail waited for a minute longer, a part of her foolishly hoping that the record was just being shy, that it would emerge soon. When that did not happen, she took a nervous step backwards, then turned and raced for the dispatch, not stopping until she reached William's office.

Panting heavily, she knocked loudly. There was no answer. Just as she raised her hand to knock again, she heard her mother speak. "He's not in, Abigail."

"Where is he?" Abigail demanded.

"Calm down," Annabelle said softly. She reached out to brush Abigail's hair from her face but Abigail pulled away. "What's the matter?"

Abigail bit her lip and then blurted out what she had experienced this morning. She ended with, "Mom, I'm not going to be in trouble for losing a soul, am I?"

Annabelle did not answer. She had frowned as Abigail had spoken but then she sighed wearily. "Come with me," she told Abigail, leading her down the hall and to a door Abigail had not yet gone through. Annabelle opened it and motioned for her daughter to follow her up the wooden staircase.

A faint coo reached her ears. Abigail looked confused until they reached a darkened room full of pigeons. The birds sat on perches, some of them fast asleep while others cooed, turning their heads at the reapers curiously. One of the birds took flight, landing on Annabelle's shoulder.

"Pigeons?" Abigail asked her mother.

Again, Annabelle was silent. She pulled a small strip of paper and a pen from her pocket and quickly scrawled something along the paper. As she wrote, the pigeon cooed and looked at Abigail, cocking its head to the side. As she waited for the ink to dry, she moved the pigeon from her shoulder to her free hand. Satisfied that the ink would not run, she rolled the paper as tightly as she could and then tied it to the bird's leg. After stroking its feathery head once, she carried it to the window. "Find William," she told it, "as quickly as you can."

Abigail watched the bird leave her mother's hand feeling completely bewildered. Annabelle smiled weakly and assured her daughter the pigeon knew where it was going.

"What's happening?" Abigail asked weakly.

Annabelle shook her head. "I've got my suspicions," she told Abigail, "but I'm not sure completely. You need to go back to work. I've got to speak to the rest of the management."

Abigail was not sure she wanted to go back to work. Annabelle had not quite reassured her that everything was going to work out. She would do as she was told, but she had one thing to ask her mother. "Will you let me know if you find anything out?"

"You'll be the first to know."

* * *

><p>Katherine sighed contently. Humans were so easy to trick, especially the men. A pretty face, a little flirting, then gently placing your hand on their arm and they were pretty much yours. While she had only devoured the soul of the idiot she had led to a small grove of trees, her fun was only just beginning.<p>

All she had to do was tell him she had lost a piece of jewelry that belonged to her mother. He offered to help her look, saying he knew the area very well and often climbed up the trees to relax.

She was sure that he did not seek comfort and quiet up in the trees, but instead used his perch to spy on others. "Why, I did those neighbors of his a favor," she said with a laugh.

Unlike Tatianna, he did not cry or beg to be spared. He did not realize what she had planned for him until the very end. He had, to her surprise and slight pleasure, tried to put up a fight. She was stronger than he, though, and overpowered him as soon as he had tried to struggle.

Katherine sighed and turned her attention to the plain white dress she wore. No one had seen her in it besides that imbecile. She could get away with wearing it again. After some thought, she decided she would change before going out again. She was still hungry, after all, and London offered some tasty snacks.


	5. Chapter 5

_Price of Freedom _

_I'm not sure if I want to do a chapter of just Katherine or not. Perhaps I should. I hope Undertaker isn't a problem this chapter. I wanted him to be helpful, in his own way._

_Chapter 5_

Abigail found herself seated across from Undertaker, using a coffin as a table. She had declined his offer of something to eat, not feeling all that hungry though she had not eaten much during the day. Since her failure at capturing a soul earlier in the day, she had been distracted and found herself having a difficult time keeping her mind on the job she had to do.

The only other person she could think to talk to besides her father was Undertaker. After clocking out for the night, she had hurried directly to his funeral parlor.

As she sat and talked to him, he had been quiet and attention, two words she would hardly ever use to describe him.

Once she was finished explaining to him what had her so scared, he leaned forward and asked, "Well what do you think is wrong?"

Abigail stared at him in surprise. She had expected, or at least hoped, that Undertaker would have an answer for her. Perhaps he could soothe her mind and her fears. But instead she was being asked what her own theory was as to why a soul was unaccounted for.

"I really don't know..." she said weakly.

"Come now," Undertaker said, getting to his feet and slowly making his way behind her. He rested his hands on her shoulders. "Surely you're not that naïve~?"

Abigail sighed faintly and said, "I know what I hope it _isn't._"

"And that would be...?"

Abigail looked all around the dark room, as though a shady corner offered her an answer other than the one she tried to force through her lips. Finding nothing, she looked up at Undertaker and whispered, "A demon."

"And why do you hope it isn't that?" Undertaker asked, his long black fingernails now digging into her shoulders.

She winced. "First, I have never had to deal with a demon ever. I have no idea what to expect." 

With a laugh, Undertaker said, "There's a first time for everything~"

Abigail chose to ignore that. "Secondly," she said, "I really do not want to have anything to do with a demon."

Undertaker left her and grabbed one of his bone-shaped biscuits. As he nibbled on it, he asked, "How many horror stories have you been told growing up?"

"None," Abigail said, not entirely sure what he was getting at. "I've just been told the basic sort of thing. That demons are cunning and can manipulate humans to do whatever they want them to do. Things that I'd find in a textbook."

"Hmm." If Undertaker was surprised by this he did not show it. "Well if it's any comfort I'm sure your parents will keep an eye on you."

"Thank you," Abigail said. She and Undertaker's conversation changed from demons to how she had been doing since graduation. Just as she was beginning to relax, the door opened and in stepped a man holding his hat in his hands.

"Undertaker I need you to... I see you have company." The man looked at Abigail nervously. He gestured outside feebly.

"Abigail won't mind if I do my job, will you Abigail?" Undertaker asked as he stepped closer to the man.

Abigail rose to her feet and said, "Not at all. I should probably get home, though. Maybe my mom has heard from my dad."

Undertaker followed her outside as did the man. Outside, Abigail saw a carriage, a body in the back covered by a sheet. She waved to Undertaker and started off in the direction of her parents' apartment.

"Miss!" the man called. Abigail stopped and turned. "You might want to hurry home. Something strange is happening around London."

Abigail thanked him and bowed. Despite his warning she took her time in getting to the apartment. Safely inside, she told her mother about her conversation with Undertaker. Slumping down on the couch, she added, "I think Undertaker doesn't care what's going on."

"Why would you say that?" Annabelle asked from the kitchen. She returned with two cups of tea and sat down next to Abigail.

"Because no matter what is happening, there's going to be a lot of dead bodies for him to play with."

Annabelle smiled and said, "You've certainly figured Undertaker out."

Abigail leaned her head against Annabelle's shoulder. "What's going to happen now?" she asked.

"We'll have to wait and see. I'll ask if you and I can be partnered together if that makes you feel better."

"Thanks," Abigail said with a yawn. She nodded off and rested for a while, only to be awakened as her mother moved to get off the couch.

"Mom?" she asked sleepily.

"Everything's fine Abigail." Annabelle opened a window, allowing the pigeon she had sent the morning before to fly in. It landed on her hand, another note attached to its leg.

"Is it from Dad?" Abigail asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes," Annabelle said, unrolling the note. "He'll be home in the morning. He wants you to stay here."

Abigail nodded as the pigeon flew from Annabelle and landed on her head with a coo. She attempted to shoo it away. It flew from her head and landed on William's chair. Abigail stretched out on the couch and was asleep within minutes.


	6. Chapter 6

_Price of Freedom_

_Abigail is still very childlike in a few ways. She can tough it out though. Katherine is to me very deliciously evil. I just love her._

_Chapter 6_

Abigail awoke the next morning to the sounds of hushed voices. For a moment she had no idea where she was. When she realized how rumpled her suit was she let out a groan.

Then she remembered where she was. She sat up and glanced around. Neither of her parents were in the living room with her. She got to her feet and stretched. "What time is it?" she called, entering the kitchen.

"Don't worry about that right now," William told her. He and Annabelle were seated at the kitchen table, their heads together as though they were having a very private conversation. He pulled out a chair for Abigail and she sat down, looking from William to Annabelle.

"What has Mom told you?" Abigail asked after several seconds of silence.

"Everything," William told her. "Is there anything you haven't told us?"

Abigail thought about that and then shook her head. "No, I told Mom exactly what happened. Dad you really don't think it's a demon do you?"

"I do," William said, studying Abigail over his glasses. She nodded slowly, accepting the fact now. She was still unhappy about it however. "I'm going to see if I can get you and your mother partnered together for the time being."

Abigail nodded again. She had expected that, as did Undertaker. She glanced at Annabelle, who smiled reassuringly at her.

"We want you safe, Abigail," Annabelle told her.

"I know," Abigail said. Then she asked, "How do you 'get rid of' a demon?"

"Let us worry about that," William told her.

Abigail was not happy to hear that, even if she knew he was going to say that. Despite not feeling like the bravest person at that time, she wanted to be a part of this. Whatever "this" may be.

"You aren't going to put me on paperwork only are you?" Abigail asked.

"I think you'll be completely safe with your mother," William told her. "Unless you want to do some paperwork?"

"No!"

Neither Annabelle nor William expected her to say yes. Sitting behind a desk all day simply was not for Abigail. It did not matter if they wanted her safely tucked away behind a desk, she was not going to do it.

The three of them left together a short time later. Abigail walked comfortably between her parents, listening and nodding along with what they said whenever they directed something towards her.

William knew Annabelle would be protective of Abigail no matter what possible trouble the two could find themselves in. Before Abigail woke up, Annabelle had told him that the first person Abigail decided to seek help from was William. They could trust her to do exactly what either of them said.

Abigail was swiftly paired up with her mother to no one's surprise. She and her mother were given a new death list partially composed of their old lists. Other souls, ones that overlapped on their previous lists, were added to other lists.

Abigail had to fight her laughter when she realized where a good majority of the souls were assigned to. "Why should I get extra work because of your little twin?" Grell demanded, shoving his ledger at William.

William pushed the ledger from his face with his scythe. "I think you need something to keep you focused," he told Grell. "We all know how you feel about demons."

Grell exhaled loudly, a bit of red hair fluttered before his face before landing against his cheek. "Is it my fault that demons can be such _interesting _creatures?"

"Yes, it is your fault that you find yourself attracted to them."

"Hey!" Grell shouted. "That wasn't what I asked!"

William arched an eyebrow. "That was what you meant wasn't it?"

Abigail watched this exchange as though it was a sporting match. She looked from Grell to William and back again, wondering to herself who was going to make the winning goal in this verbal match. William turned to leave, leaving Abigal wondering if Grell had the upper hand. But William glanced at them both over his shoulder and said, "Get to work, both of you. And Grell, no dallying. I'm sure you would hate to be demoted again."

Grell frowned not at William, but at Abigail. "This is your fault, you know."

"It isn't my fault my dad doesn't like you," she said innocently.

Instead of replying to that, Grell's frown deepened. "You're just alike, you know that?"

"So I've been told." Abigail grabbed her scythe and left Grell pouting.

* * *

><p>Katherine scowled at the humans wandering around below her. She stood on the roof of some shop, whatever type it was she did not care. She only cared about where her next snack came from. As she watched, something below her caught her eye. It was a pair of Shinigami, and to her it was clear they were related.<p>

"Hmm," she said to herself thoughtfully, "a family of reapers?" She tapped a finger against her lips. "This could prove fun."

She hopped down from the roof, landing gracefully in the alley below, then fought her way through the crowds, trying not to lose sight of them. As she attempted to catch up to them without being seen, she wondered if the reapers were aware that she was running around freely.

_'They must,' _she thought. _'All they do is deal in souls so they must be aware. Perhaps I should be more careful.'_

Then she decided against it. She was being careful as it was. She always made sure she was alone when she dined and that no one would find the body for quite some time. Even if the reapers knew she was around, surely they had no idea what she looked like or even whether or not she was male or female. No one had suspected her at all.

And besides, she had new playthings. She was not going to give up quite so easily.


	7. Chapter 7

_Price of Freedom_

_I had the randomish thought as I typed this. How would Shinigami deal with those who are spirited away? Like I said, random!_

_Chapter 7_

Abigail and Annabelle soon fell into a routine. Annabelle would meet Abigail at her apartment and the two of them would leave to collect the souls on their list. Working with Annabelle was mostly quiet and very methodical. Having Annabelle around, however, also meant Abigail was less nervous as she worked.

What Abigail did not know was that Annabelle was returning to William with detailed information. She allowed Abigail to reap the vast majority of souls on the list and while she did, Annabelle would keep an eye out for anything wrong. She was more observant than Abigail, something Annabelle and William were unhappy about.

"I know you're worried she could be swayed," Annabelle said one night, her hands resting on William's shoulders, "but I think she's been raised better than that. She should know a demon when she's around one."

William shook his head. "I don't doubt that," he said. "What I do doubt is whether or not she's strong enough to resist the charms of a demon."

"Relax, would you? She may be young but she isn't stupid. Before you say anything, I know you did not call her stupid. She will be fine. I'll make sure of that."

* * *

><p>Abigail had become very curious since her initial fright. She would bombard Annabelle with questions as they worked, many of which were unanswered. Often she would ask what exactly the reapers were expecting. It took her asking her mother eight times for her to receive an answer.<p>

Annabelle sighed and said, "Abigail, a lone demon is a well fed demon. A well fed demon means that we cannot collect the souls of the dying or keep track of those who have been killed for this demon's feast but were not meant to die just yet. We have no idea of the personality of this demon's old master, whether or not that has anything to do with this demon's feasting, or if this demon even had an old master."

"But – "

Annabelle held up a hand to stop her. "Let me finish," she said. "What is his or her view of humans? Does this demon see them simply as meals or as something else? Did this demon prefer to serve a master? We don't know. We don't really know anything because no one has seen anything from this creature, other than a few bodies missing their souls."

Abigail bit her lip with uncertainty. "If we don't know anything, then what are we doing?"

"Looking for anything that can give us the information we _do _need."

"And we can find these clues by simply working?"

"It's all we can do now," Annabelle said, removing her glasses. She began to clean them with a handkerchief and added, "When we do find something specific about this demon, that is when we can start to follow him or her."

As she put her glasses back on, she said, "Now then. No more talk of this right now. You never know who might overhear."

Abigail nodded and silently followed her mother to a quaint little house in a small, quiet neighborhood. There they collected the soul of a woman who was injured during a robbery attempt. Annabelle frowned as she and Abigail reviewed the woman's cinematic record.

"I don't understand why humans resort to robbery," Annabelle said, her hand resting on her hip.

"I don't either," Abigail said, thinking of the young woman that turned out to be her and Akane's final exam. "But they do, which often gives us more work to tend to."

Annabelle nodded slightly. The two of them slipped out of a back window and into the woman's yard. As they walked, Abigail consulted their list. They had a busy day ahead but managed it easily. No soul was missing, something that came as a relief for Annabelle.

After collecting the last soul on their list, a teenager who was showing off for his friends had pulled some foolish stunt that had caused him his life, both reapers felt themselves being watched.

Her grip tightening on her scythe, Annabelle called, "Come out, _now._"

"You wouldn't harm me would you~?"

"Undertaker?" Annabelle asked, confusion in her voice. "Shouldn't you be taking care of your dead dolls?"

He laughed and reached into a pocket. Abigail and Annabelle exchanged a look as he removed a vial he had stoppered with a bit of wax. He wiggled the small vial between his fingers and said, "I thought you'd want this."

"What is it?" Abigail demanded as Undertaker handed the vial to Annabelle.

Annabelle glanced inside the vial. First she did not notice anything and then she saw what Undertaker wanted her to see. There were a few dark red strands of hair he had placed inside the glass container. "Hair?" she asked.

"Yes, I happened to notice it on several of my guests. At first I thought it unimportant, but surely not everyone would know whomever this belonged to. My special guests have all been from different social classes."

"I'll take it to William," Annabelle said, pocketing the vial. "That is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Undertaker smiled his pointy smile and said, "Well who else would give that to him?"

Annabelle frowned at him, taking insult in his words but not fully sure why. "Thanks," she said. "If you'll excuse us, Abigail and I need to do some paperwork before we're off duty. I would hate to have work overtime."

Undertaker merely chuckled. "What is it with the Spears family and not liking overtime?" he asked. He received no answer. He laughed again, knowing he had angered Annabelle in some way. Despite her annoyance with him, he knew that bit of hair, whether it meant something or not, would get in the right hands.


	8. Chapter 8

_Price of Freedom_

_Sorry for the lack of Katherine so far. That will pick up soon._

_Chapter 8_

Annabelle stood out of the way, careful to remain out of Abigail's sight. Abigail stood talking to a young reaper that Annabelle vaguely recognized as one of her former classmates. Despite being ready to go home, Annabelle decided to wait so Abigail could finish her conversation.

With William often working overtime, Annabelle was the one walking Abigail home. She wanted to plead with Abigail to move back in with them, at least until the demon was under control one way or the other, but she remained silent.

The number of devoured souls only managed to rise due to the demon being sneaky and secretive. Annabelle could not believe no one had seen anything about this demon. The only think they had to go on for the time being was the dark red hairs from Undertaker, and not all of the reapers were ready to jump on the fact that those could belong to the demon.

House and business fires were also starting to crop up more than usual. Annabelle shut her eyes for a moment and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The horrible creature was causing a lot of frustration for the Shinigami and she was sure that he or she knew it. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if that was what the demon wanted to do.

Annabelle yawned, then glanced towards Abigail. Her former classmate stood with his hand on Abigail's shoulder. Annabelle raised an eyebrow and decided it was time to end the conversation.

"Ready, Abigail?" she asked, stepping in their line of sight.

Abigail glanced at Reed with a smile and shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "Yeah, coming." To Reed, she said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Reed."

She had to run to catch up with Annabelle, who was nearly down the street. "I don't appreciate you watching me, Mom."

Annabelle stopped and turned to face Abigail. "It is my place to watch you," she said.

"I meant with Reed."

"I wasn't watching."

"Mom!"

Annabelle sighed wearily. "Abigail," she said, "I'm exhausted. I want to get home, take a bath, and go to sleep. I don't feel like arguing over whether or not you believe I was spying on you with Reed. Just be thankful it was me and not your father."

Abigail crossed her arms over her chest and said, "I doubt Dad would mind much."

Annabelle merely shook her head. "He would mind a lot more than you want to think."

Neither spoke until they reached Abigail's apartment. "Night, Mom," she said softly, a note of apology in her voice. They embraced and then Abigail added, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Abigail. Sleep well."

Annabelle wanted to run home but she was too tired to do that. The streets were mostly deserted. Many humans were afraid of the weird happenings in and around London. People seemed to be dropping dead of no real reason but the rumors swirled that a serial killer was on the loose.

As she passed by a darkened store, the sounds of struggle reached her ears. "Miss, I really need to go home. My parents don't want me out so late."

Annabelle stopped and scowled. On the one hand, she wanted to just pass by. If it was a murder, surely another reaper was assigned to that soul. On the other hand, she felt that she might need to check and see what was going on. If another soul went uncounted for, especially with a reaper around, there would be hell to pay.

She slipped around the building as quietly as she could. A young boy, perhaps eight or nine years old, cowered against the back of the building as a woman drew nearer and nearer. A woman with dark red hair...

Annabelle quickly extended her scythe, putting it between the boy and the demon. With a growl, the demon turned towards her. Then she laughed.

"Why it's Mommy Reaper!" she said, clasping her hands together. "Don't you find children so easy to manipulate?"

Annabelle retracted her scythe. "No," she said, "I think you disgusting demons are the ones using people, not us." To the boy, she added, "You need to go home. Don't worry, she won't hurt you."

The boy fell, trembling to all fours. Before Katherine could swoop down and devour his soul, he shot up and hurried away from the building, calling a thanks towards Annabelle and knowing no one would believe him when he told them what happened.

Katherine stepped towards Annabelle with a growl. "Children may not be as filling as adults but I was really looking forward to that snack!"

She lunged at Annabelle, who ducked and attempted to pin Katherine to the wall of the building with her scythe. Katherine dodged her attack easily.

"You think you're going to get rid of me all by yourself?" Katherine asked with a coy smile. "That would be a little difficult for you, wouldn't you think?"

Annabelle extended her scythe again, missing Katherine nearly entirely. She did manage to cut a few of her hairs. Katherine laughed again. "A haircut, Mrs. Reaper?" she asked teasingly. "You look tired and out of form."

With a twirl of Katherine's finger, Annabelle let out a cry of pain and dropped her scythe. She struggled against the sudden pain in her arm and dove for her scythe. Before she could reach it, another reaper joined the fight.

"Tch!" Katherine glared at the extended scythe that was now between herself and Annabelle. "Two against one, hmm? I prefer better odds." With that, she slipped into the night and far from the reapers.

"Thank you, William." Annabelle picked up her scythe and smiled gratefully at him. "Though I must ask, what brought you here?"

"You were not home so I assumed you were with Abigail."

"Well," Annabelle said, staring at the spot where Katherine had vanished, "looks like we found our demon."


	9. Chapter 9

_Price of Freedom_

_My apologies, I have a couple of very busy days. I will try not to miss another day but sometimes things come up._

_Chapter 9_

Abigail sat with her back against the wall, her fingers absently tracing patterns on the cool floor as she stared at the shut door in front of her. Her parents had shown up to walk with her to work bright and early with news that upset her deeply. After her mother had walked her home the night before, she had encountered the demon that had been terrorizing London.

Abigail sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She was feeling somewhat guilty. If she had not been frustrated with her mother over something that now felt very unimportant, perhaps she could have invited her in her apartment for a little while and she would not have had to fight a demon.

And what if the demon had bested her mother? Abigail bit her lip, forcing herself not to think of that.

"Not in trouble, now are we?"

Abigail glanced up and managed a weak smile. "No," she said with a slight shake of her head, "I'm not in trouble. Just waiting on my mom and dad."

Ronald crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "They're still not letting you work by yourself?"

"I don't expect to work by myself in a long time now. Mom kind of bumped into that demon last night."

"Really?" Ronald asked, looking surprised. "How did that happen?"

Abigail explained only what she had been told. As she finished, she added, "I expect everyone will know by the end of the day. If they ever come out of there, that is." She glared at the door as though it had wronged her. "I've been sitting here for about an hour now."

Ronald fought the urge to laugh at her impatience. "They'll be out soon enough," he told her. Knowing he needed to get back to work, he started down the hall with a wave. Before turning the corner, he glanced back at her and called out, "Behave yourself!"

Abigail frowned at him even though she knew he was picking on her. He, like many of the other Shinigami, seemed to have adopted a big brother like stance when it came to her. It comforted her that the reapers were actually like a very large family.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not hear the door open. "Come on, Abigail," Annabelle said. Abigail glanced up and then took her mother's hand. Getting to her feet she began to fire off questions. "Come on," Annabelle said again.

Her mom and dad did not answer anything until they were all safely tucked away in William's office. "You're not going to make me type up death lists or something like that, are you?" Abigail asked , looking from William to Annabelle.

"Not if you don't want to," Annabelle said softly. "We know that despite how scared you may be, you do want to help."

"I'm not scared!"

Another look was exchanged between her parents. Abigail had certainly seen a lot of that lately. Thankfully, neither of them decided to point out that she was, in fact, somewhat afraid of running into the demon as her mother had.

"There is something we would like of you."

Abigail glanced nervously at William. "What would that be?" she asked softly, fearing the possible request.

"We would like you to temporarily work with Undertaker."

"Huh?" Of all the things Abigail expected to hear, from working with William to leaving the country, she did not expect to hear anything remotely related to Undertaker. She looked from Annabelle, who nodded to confirm that she heard what she thought she heard, to William, who was studying her intently over his glasses.

Finally she managed to say, "Work with Undertaker? But why?"

William leaned back in his chair, wondering whether she was excited about the task or angry that they would put her out of harm's way. "Not only would we feel better if you were with Undertaker, but you could also learn a few things."

"Like what?"

Annabelle smiled and said, "We'll let him answer that."

"Does Undertaker know?"

"I imagine he does."

Abigail exhaled loudly, blowing a strand of hair off her face as she did. She then realized her parents were waiting for an answer. "Do I get some say as to whether or not I work with Undertaker? While I do like and respect Undertaker, I'm really not sure I want to know what he does with those dead people."

"You can decide," William told her, "but ultimately, I can override your decision."

Abigail nodded slowly, with complete understanding. "Let me sleep on it. I'll let you know my choice in the morning."

* * *

><p>Katherine stood amid the the now cluttered and messy library of the manor that belonged to her former mistress. She was glad Tatianna did not have much family nearby and had taken the manor as her own personal living space for the time being. She knew she would have to leave soon enough, especially now that those nosy reapers knew what she looked like.<p>

She begun to pace, wondering just where she would hide away from. She would not take another master. She would _not! _But where to hide was beyond her.

As she stood among her many different articles of clothing, she ruled out hiding in a barn or storage building. She certainly was better than that. "I wonder if there's any shelters in London that I can hide in," she said softly, not realizing she was speaking aloud. "Perhaps I'll look later. It could be dangerous, since shelters would be the likely place for the feeble and homeless and possibly dying. I can't let another reaper spot me for the time being."

Her eyes swept the room, taking in the soft red carpeting, the gaudy wallpaper, the books that had gone to waste sitting on their old shelves with no one to read them. She would find somewhere to go and burn the house to the ground, covering her tracks completely.


	10. Chapter 10

_Price of Freedom_

_I hope things don't become confusing from here on out. Had to put some Annabelle and Will in here. I needed that, don't know about anyone else._

_Chapter 10_

Abigail had barely slept the night before. The offer to work with Undertaker would certainly prove to be interesting. However she wanted to be doing the job she went to school for. She had determined, however, that if she did not accept the offer she would probably be given a job that was boring and tedious.

She had arrived at Undertaker's funeral parlor bright and early, just in time to join him for breakfast.

As they ate, he said, "I've always wanted a little assistant."

"Glad to be of service then," Abigail said weakly.

"You don't sound too happy..."

Abigail shook her head. "That's because I'm not," she said. "Don't get me wrong," she added, "I like being here and spending time with you. I'd just rather be... helpful."

Undertaker laughed at that, muffling his laughter against his sleeve. "You get that from your father," he told her. He began to tap one long black nail against the coffin they used as a table. "I think you'll find being here is quite helpful."

"Why?" she asked sadly. "By getting me out of the way?"

Undertaker smiled vaguely as he clapped his hands together once. "How should we start the day?" he asked.

Abigail shrugged. "As long as I don't have to sweep, I don't care what we do today."

Undertaker laughed again. As he left the room, he called back to her. "This is going to be a fun week."

Abigail rested her chin on her hand and stared at the ceiling. Above her, a small black spider crawled along, trying its best to string a web in the corner of the beams above. The sound of something being dropped in front of her made her jump.

"Which one?" Undertaker asked brightly.

It took Abigail a few moments to realize he had placed some fabric in front of her. There was a bright sunny yellow, a pale pink with small, darker pink flowers, and a lavender shade that seemed to sparkle in the dim candlelight.

Abigail bit her lip and then pointed to the purple. "This one, I suppose. Why?"

"I needed a color for a young girl's coffin."

"You – you make your own coffins?" Abigail asked, dimly aware that she was touching the purple fabric.

"Oh, yes. Where would they come from if I didn't?"

Abigail shook her head slowly, trying to take this new bit of information about Undertaker in. "Well... I always thought you ordered them."

Wordlessly, she followed Undertaker into a room of the funeral parlor she had never been in before. The scent of freshly cut wood filled the air. To her surprise, there were cuts of wood in all lengths and sizes lining the shelves on one long wall. On the wall opposite of that one were fabrics the color of the rainbow in all different sorts of textures. Barrels and crates held stuffing for the linings.

"Impressed?" Undertaker asked with a smile.

"Very," Abigail admitted. Before she could stop herself, she heard herself asking him, "What happened to that girl?"

"I'll let you tell me."

"Demon?" When he nodded, she asked, "But how do you tell? There are no marks and – "

"No noticeable marks," Undertaker pointed out. "You have a lot to learn, Abigail."

* * *

><p>Annabelle and William stood in his office in front of the window. She had just returned with her completed death list and had now joined him, not ready to walk home by herself. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. "There's been another one today," she said wearily. "It's like she's taunting us."<p>

"No one seems to have seen her either," William said, absently toying with Annabelle's braid. "Or if they have, they are not telling us."

"Do you really think anyone would withhold that from management? Especially after the entire angel ordeal."

William was silent, his mind going years back to when an angel had decided to help purify people but usually wound up convincing them to kill themselves. And how the angel had coaxed one of the higher ranking Shinigami on his side.

He snapped out of his reverie at the sound of her voice. "Do you really think we did the right thing with Abigail? I'm sure she's furious with us."

"Undertaker can keep her safe if that disgusting creature shows up. Do you think she would, though? Undertaker doesn't usually involve himself with the living."

"Good point." She was silent for a minute or so and then, very softly, she said, "I worry about her."

"You should," William told her. "You are her mother, therefore it's your place to worry. But you must remember she'd an adult and capable of taking care of herself."

Reluctantly, Annabelle released him. "You need to finish your work so we can get home. I know you hate overtime. I'll be waiting downstairs." She kissed his cheek and left, shutting the door behind her.

William knew she felt nervous about walking home after dark now. He straightened his glasses and sank down behind his desk to deal with the small mountain of paperwork before him.


	11. Chapter 11

_Price of Freedom_

_Hoping to get this finished before the weather prevents me from posting today. If you don't see this today (Sunday) then expect two tomorrow._

_Chapter 11_

Annabelle was exhausted, but her day was not done just yet. She stood against the trunk of a large tree just on the edge of a sprawling property outside of London. Spread out in the woods nearby were five other reapers.

The fire from the burning manor reflected off of her glasses, making them appear to be a blazing orange. Despite it being well past six o'clock, she clearly had a lot of work to do. No one had perished in the blaze, but the source it was a demon. The Shinigami wanted to make certain that if Katherine was still around, she would not escape.

The house had been burning for some time when they reached it. Annabelle was sure Katherine was not around but they waited anyway.

Ronald joined her as the fire started to die. "Do you think we'll find anything?"

Annabelle shook her head. "The fire seems to have been meant to destroy everything. As for her," here Annabelle's voice adopted a bitter tone, "I think she's long gone."

"I don't doubt it."

She and Ronald stood there for several minutes in silence. The dying fire was soon extinguished completely by a fine misting rain. Wordlessly, the reapers stepped closer to the remains of the once great manor.

The once beautiful furniture was now smoking, black heaps that dotted the area. Here and there gleamed pieces of metal, most likely cutlery, that somehow escaped the fire. Bits of color contrasted against the black soot; they were parts of fabrics and wallpaper that were burning but put out by the misty rain.

Soot crunched under Annabelle's dress shoes as she stepped into the wreckage. She felt certain they would find nothing in the dark, ashy mess. Her feet kicked aside chunks of wood as she stepped further into the smoky remains.

"What was she hiding?" Annabelle mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. "She had to have burned this for some reason."

A scrap of fabric caught her eye. It was part of a skirt. The color was indeterminable but the lace was only slightly smudged. She pocketed it. It could have been nothing but she kept it anyway.

"It looks like we won't be finding a demon tonight," Ronald told her as he joined her.

"You're probably right. She's definitely not here. There also doesn't appear to be much, if anything, that would tie her here. She has to have been here at least once before."

* * *

><p>Katherine smiled faintly to herself as she lurked nearby. If all had gone to her plan, the reapers would find nothing. Several of them would be busy at the ruined manor for hours.<p>

"There's Mommy," she whispered to herself as she noticed Annabelle pocket something. "Stupid reaper, nothing will give me away."

She had almost been unhappy to burn down the familiar house but it had to be done. If anyone had stumbled upon her hiding there, questions would be raised. Especially if she killed the trespasser. She had a new location to hide in. One that was better than the manor, though it was a lot smaller.

Watching the reapers soon bored Katherine. She pursed her lips, deep in thought. _'With Mommy here, I wonder where the girl is?' _Probably somewhere safe, she decided.

Absently, she began to tap one gloved finger against her cheek. _'Focusing on getting a reaper just to toy with her mother is stupid,' _she thought. _'So why do I want to do that? Reapers haven't been the kindest of creatures to me, of course, but...' _

She growled softly and ducked further back in the shadows as one of the reapers glanced in her direction. _'You're acting like Tatianna!' _Katherine told herself.

That worked. Insulting herself by even thinking of her old master, much less comparing herself to her, brought Katherine back to her senses. Not wanting to risk being seen, she slipped through the trees and away from the manor.

She did not make it very far. There was a _snip! _and then sudden pain in Katherine's left hand. She glanced down, then laughed loudly. The tip of a very familiar death scythe was embedded in her palm.

"I thought you would be lurking nearby. Do you admire your own handiwork that much?"

Katherine smiled darkly at William. "Do you make it a habit to protect her?" she asked. She made no effort to free herself. Any struggle from her would probably start a fight, and a fight would draw the others' attention.

The urge to wince was a hard one to fight as he removed his scythe without care. His attempt to pin her to a tree failed as she ducked out of the way. With a smirk, she leaped high into the branches. "You didn't answer my question," she called down to him.

William pushed his glasses back along his nose as far as they would go. He spotted her hiding among the branches by the red of her cloak. _'She doesn't want to fight,' _he thought. _'Too bad for her.'_

He jumped after her, extending his scythe to hit her as he did. She slipped but grabbed a lower branch before she could fall too far. Pulling herself up, she stared at him. He was ready to kill her and what had she done but save him some work?

While she could have fought back, Katherine was looking instead for her chance to flee. On her person, she only had a handgun. Everything else was tucked away safely in her new hiding place. A handgun would be loud and draw attention. Not to mention hard to handle with one bloody hand.

Silently she cursed him. She kicked out, the heel of her boot connecting with another attempt to pin her down. William hung onto his scythe with ease as though he had expected the kick. Katherine was tempted to applaud his smart move but he was a reaper. A reaper who injured her hand.

Her response to his next attack was one he did not expect. Katherine rolled away from it, rolled right off the branch she had perched herself on. She landed gracefully below, clutching her injured hand close to her chest. Before he could jump down and engage her further, she fled.

He watched her leave with a scowl. "Next time," he decided, "you won't have the chance to flee."


	12. Chapter 12

_Price of Freedom_

_I know it has not been asked yet but Katherine does not realize that William is Abigail's father. She keeps meeting him in the dark, silly demon._

_Chapter 12_

Katherine glowered at nothing as she wrapped her hand. She had bandaged it the night before but the wound on her hand needed a fresh bandage so quickly after her confrontation with William. She smirked. She would not call it a fight, as she did not fight back. While he might have thought he bested her, she knew better.

She dressed herself simply that day in a red dress trimmed with white lace. It reminded her of her time as a maid but she liked the color. Her attention turned to her hand. She could cover it with her gloves, but the idea of using it to lure out some kind-hearted humans also appealed to her.

Katherine decided to pull on her gloves but to take them off if the chance presented itself.

Despite her hunger, she found herself aimlessly wandering the streets. Oh, she was hungry, there was no doubt about that. She just did not feel like giving chase to her prey.

The East End would have been an easy place to find a meal. The humans there did not really put up much of a fight and likely either could not or did not want to. But the souls there were so... _unappealing. _

While she stood on a street corner, debating silently whether or not she should go to the East End for an easy meal or just leave and return later, something caught her eye. She nearly laughed with delight. There, only feet away from her with no idea of what was behind her, was the younger reaper. And no mommy in sight!

_'Good thing I didn't decide to leave!' _Katherine thought as she narrowed her eyes into red slits. The idea of eaten forgotten, she slipped quickly and quietly behind Abigail, staying far away so she would not be noticed but close enough to hear.

"I still say the entire point is you're supposed to be unseen."

"And I say you need fresh air."

The younger reaper and her companion laughed at this. Katherine grinned to herself. _'So mommy wants to protect her baby from the bad, naughty demon...'_

Abigail removed her glasses as she walked in order to clean them. She did not seemed to be afraid, if she even knew Katherine was behind her, but Undertaker was sure they were being followed.

"It's nearly lunch time," he told Abigail, his tone that of one commenting on what a cloud appeared to look like.

"Well let's find something to eat, then."

Undertaker put his hand protectively on Abigail's shoulder. She glanced up at him and winked, then inclined her head only slightly behind them. Her actions caused him to smile. They were like two conspirators. He had a feeling his week with her would be fun.

"I just remembered, I have to pick up a few items for my newest guest," Undertaker told her. "Why don't you get something to eat?"

Abigail nodded. As she nonchalantly headed in the direction of the funeral parlor, Undertaker cut across the street. He went the opposite direction of Abigail and Katherine until he was sure Katherine did not see him. He doubled back, hurrying to catch up to them.

Katherine decided to try to play innocently. "Excuse me," she said, approaching Abigail and tapping her lightly on the shoulder. "Do you know of any good doctors nearby?"

"None, sorry," Abigail said, pulling her death scythe out and swinging low. Her attempt to trip Katherine failed as Katherine flipped away from her.

She glared at Abigail and said, "Why, you should know to play nicely."

"I'm not playing nicely with anything like you."

Katherine smiled as she kicked high, nearly removing Abigail's glasses. "If you don't want to play nice then I won't either!" She lunged forward, taking Abigail by surprise. The two tumbled for a short distance before Katherine pinned Abigail to the ground.

Abigail struggled beneath her, trying to move her feet so she could kick Katherine off of her. Katherine smiled vaguely but let out a shriek of rage and pain as something connected with her, knocking her off Abigail.

She looked around, frowning when she heard Undertaker's laughter. Her eyes widened only slightly in surprise as she spotted several long pieces of wood underneath his cloak. So that was what he hit her with, was it? Not a wise choice.

Undertaker helped Abigail to her feet. To Katherine, he simply said, "I was told to return her in one piece."

Katherine shook her head. "Then going through you is going to be no trouble." She held out her uninjured hand, palm up. A small wisp of flame started at her palm, then formed itself into a small fireball. She threw it towards Undertaker, who calmly batted it back to her with one of his sotobas. She dodged it, staring at him in awe.

_'Hmm... how interesting. Not even a scorch mark.'_

She cartwheeled away from them, knowing how cowardly she appeared. With a wave, she called, "Flee to fight another day! My chance will come, I warn you!" Then she was gone.

Abigail stared after her, a pensive expression on her face. "I didn't think demons... ran away like that." she said softly. "You must have taken her by surprise. You certainly did surprise me."

"Her motives are her own," Undertaker told her.

Abigail glanced at Undertaker out of the corner of her eye. She wished sometimes he would just say what it was he was thinking. "How long have you been using those as weapons?" she demanded.

Undertaker smiled at her, a secretive, teasing smile. "Who says I haven't had them this whole time?"

Abigail groaned with annoyance. "I think Mom and Dad sent me to you to drive me crazy."

Undertaker merely laughed. "Now then, how about lunch?"


	13. Chapter 13

_Price of Freedom_

_Would isn't thrilled about sexy sobota action?_

_Chapter 13_

Abigail yawned wearily as she changed from her suit into her pajamas. After lunch, which Undertaker had insisted on, giggling to himself about some private joke, the two had spent a few long hours with her parents and a few other reapers. Questions had been fired at her rapidly. Undertaker did not seem to want to help her at all, and William had made it clear he was very displeased with Undertaker.

While Abigail had answered the questions as best as she could, William was glaring at Undertaker. Abigail was certainly thankful looks could not kill. Undertaker just seemed to find it funny.

She stretched out on her bed, removed her glasses, and stared at the ceiling. Her father did finally agree that it did not matter where she was, her odds of running into Katherine were high. As much as she liked Undertaker, working with her mom was better.

Suppressing a yawn, she shut her eyes. She fell asleep nearly immediately.

Her dreams were odd and jumbled. They were full of demons and fire, of burning sobota sticks. With a sigh, she rolled over on her side and clutched at her pillow. For a moment, the dreams felt so real that she could actually smell the smoke.

Then she awoke with a start. She actually _could _smell smoke!

"Great," Abigail grumbled, not bothering to put on her suit. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her scythe. "What's going on now?"

As she hurried down the steps, past cowering humans and a crying child, she said to herself, "I'm beginning to see why Dad really hates demons."

She hurriedly looked around, trying to take everything in. An entire row of houses burned across the street. For one terrifying moment, Abigail wondered if Katherine had somehow found out where she lived. But then she realized it was more likely that Katherine was just mad at being bested twice within a twenty-four hour period and wanted to release her anger in some form.

Even though she knew that the souls of the dying needed to be collected before the demon could get to them, Abigail stood and stared for a moment longer, her mind racing. She shook her head, hoping to clear it, then crossed the street.

The heat did not bother her and the smell barely did. Even though several people shouted at her not to go near the burning building before her, she did not listen to them. She eased through the window without trouble. Navigating through the burning building, however, was a little more difficult than getting through the window.

Furniture burned and blocked her way twice. The entire second floor creaked and groaned overhead, just waiting for its chance to fall down on top of her. A feeble moan caught her attention. Abigail slipped into a small bedroom.

An older woman was disoriented by the smoke and fire. She had managed to wedge herself between the bed and wall but was having trouble opening the window. She could only slap feebly at it.

"Sorry," Abigail told her faintly before puncturing her with her death scythe. "Demons are merciless."

She collected the soul, making a mental note as she did. She did not have a death list and vaguely wondered if there was even a list for the fire victims. Going through the house, she longed for a piece of paper to write these people down.

"At least it's not that demon getting their souls," Abigail told herself, a frown playing at her mouth.

As she collected the last soul in the building, she sensed someone behind her. Abigail turned, raising her scythe in an effort to defend herself. Grell slapped it away.

"I don't know why I was sent, it seems you have everything under control." he said with a grin.

"I'm off duty!" she snapped. "Do you have a list?"

Grell continued to grin as he passed his ledger to her. He swept his hair from his face and said, "I think you can handle this by yourself little miss – "

Abigail marked the four souls she had collected so far as _Completed _and thrust the ledger back at Grell. It hit him in the chest perhaps a little harder than she wanted it to. "I think if you were sent, you need to do your job. But I will help. If you don't call me by your stupid pet names that is. One name and it's all yours Grell!"

Grell held his ledger to his chest, his expression a mixture of surprise and awe. "I'll behave, promise."

Abigail scoffed as they slipped out the window and hurried into the next building. "I don't think you know how to behave."

"Hey!" Grell shook his head, fighting the urge to pout. If he learned anything it was not to interrupt Abigail's sleep. She was as moody as he had ever seen her. He hoped it would help get the job done faster.

The two worked in silence, the ledger passing between them as souls were collected. At the last house, still burning brightly. The humans seemed to have gathered their senses and begun to put the fires out but had not yet reached the last one. Grell and Abigail had enough time to check the entire house but had trouble searching thoroughly as most of the house had collapsed.

Grell stood in the middle of the destruction, double checking the list. He slammed it shut with a pointed grin. "Looks like everyone is accounted for. Maybe I'll get a promotion for once."

Abigail rolled her eyes and climbed out of a window. "I'm going to bed."

* * *

><p>Katherine watched the two Shinigami leave the house in no hurry. It was as though it was not even on fire! She narrowed her eyes and chuckled to herself. She might have been hungry but it was worth it to sacrifice a few meals. While she would not call the score "even" now, she was well on her way to catching up to the reapers.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

_Price of Freedom_

_I'm not sure when this is going to end. It doesn't feel like we're nearing an end, does it?_

_Chapter 14_

"I will not move back in with you, even temporarily!" Abigail's cheeks were pink with anger. She was tired of the conversation always turning back to Annabelle's pleas for Abigail to return "home". "I mean it!"

Annabelle began to rub her temples. She and Abigail had been going back and forth over the course of the morning about Abigail's safety. She did not want to hear any evidence her daughter had on the subject of her own safety. She wanted to be able to keep an eye on Abigail at least until the threat of demons was completely over with.

"Abigail – "

"I don't want to hear it!" Abigail was also feeling irritable due to not sleeping well.

"Abigail!"

Annabelle's harsh tone stopped Abigail in her tracks as soon as she tried to walk away from her mother. She turned to face her nervously. "I'm sorry," she began, though she was not exactly feeling sorry, "but I'm perfectly capable of handling my own business."

Annabelle ignored Abigail's words, choosing to stare her down instead. "Do you not think that beast knows what she's doing? She wants to separate every single one of us, that way we are far easier to defeat."

Abigail looked confused. "How did you come up with that?"

"I didn't." Annabelle turned on her heel and began to walk away. Abigail bit her lip then raced to catch up with her. Annabelle continued to walk, knowing that Abigail expected an answer of her. "That's your father's thinking," she said, "and the more I think about it, the more right he seems to be."

"Wait, Dad told you to be so protective and demanding of me?" Abigail asked.

Abigail stared at her for a moment before saying, "No that's my own doing. He feels this insane, hungry demon wants to pick at us Shinigami until we are at each other's throats, that way we are a lot easier to take down."

Abigail was silent as she mulled this over. Part of her wanted to believe it was simply her parents' paranoia, but another part of her realized it did seem true. "She does not like fighting more than one of us at a time..." Abigail said thoughtfully.

"Exactly."

Abigail fell silent again. A slight breeze stirred, blowing her hair across her face. She pushed it back in frustration. "What do we do?" she asked with a huff.

"We stop jumping at everyone else's throats for one," Annabelle said. "No one should be left by themselves."

"Is that every Shinigami talking or is it just you?"

Annabelle sighed. "That's my talking but I'm sure anyone else would agree with me."

* * *

><p>Katherine smirked as their argument reached her ears. She knew by now the Shinigami might have thought they were onto her and her plans. They might be partially right but she would give them nothing more.<p>

"Not to mention," she told herself happily, "we demons without masters can be _unpredictable._"

She leaned back, content. Having eaten her fill of souls, she was more than happy to have taken her spot on the roof of a store that was now, thanks to her, barely seeing customers. No one wanted to leave their homes with "strange, unexplainable deaths" occurring.

What did not seem to occur to them, however, was that whether or not they wanted to stay home, they could easily find themselves burning to a crisp.

She giggled to herself as she leaned her head back, letting the sun hit her face. She continued to listen to their conversation, but as she relaxed, she realized their voices were drifting further away.

With a shrug, Katherine chose not to move for the time being. She could pursue them whenever she desired. At that moment, full and satisfied, she let them go.

Besides, she needed to plan her next step. Tricking humans and eating their souls was one thing. She had grown used to the game. It was no longer fun to trick humans into giving themselves to her as a meal. She wanted something _different. _

Toying with the Shinigami proved to be just that.

Katherine stretched her feet out and grinned lazily. The idea of destroying an entire row of houses had suddenly come to her. She had no time to think about it, it just occurred and she acted. She knew it drove the humans nearly crazy with fear. It also seemed to have an effect on dear Mommy Reaper.

To her that came as a bit of a surprise. She would have expected the little reaper to crack first, being so young and inexperienced. Katherine had no idea of knowing just how soon it had been since Abigail had graduated but she felt positive she was not that long out of school or however it was reapers earned their job.

True, she had not expected Mommy's maternal instincts to be so strong but it did not matter in the long run.

If there was one thing she knew about reapers, they were organized and most were all about rules. If one cracked, she expected the others to tumble right alongside her.


	15. Chapter 15

_Price of Freedom_

_Maybe I need to stop housekeeping for the chinchilla. I knocked him off his little shelf today. There's your dose of random from me this morning._

_Chapter 15_

A light rain had begun to fall as Abigail waited for her parents in their apartment. She had the day off, a rarity that she did not expect and was unsure if she should take it. With a little encouragement, she decided to take the day to herself.

She had spent most of the day restless, wandering around London and hoping nothing was going wrong. The fires and "mysterious" deaths had slackened but Abigail knew they had not stopped. Perhaps they were being lured into a false sense of security?

She did not have an answer to that but she was beginning to learn more than she ever expected to know.

Abigail checked her watch and decided there was no reason to be impatient. Her parents were not due home until after six. She had at least a half hour to herself.

Still, she found herself tapping her foot impatiently as the rain began to get heavier. Her reason for coming was due to her curiosity. She wanted to know what she had missed. It had been bothering her all day and she knew she'd get answers from her parents faster than she would from anyone else.

She kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch. After checking her watch for the half dozenth time, Abigail removed it and placed it face down on the nearby table. _'Staring at my watch will not make them come home faster,' _Abigail told herself.

She was not anxious about their well-being. Her parents had proven time and again that they could take care of themselves with no trouble at all.

With a groan, Abigail stopped trying to fool herself. She was as worried for them as they were for her. _'Now I get how Mom feels. But it's so stupid. I know they're smart enough to not be killed by a stupid demon.'_

Abigail pushed her hair out of her face as she began to sulk. All she heard about was the demon and she was growing sick of it. Why had she not been caught? Or destroyed? Abigail laughed to herself. That would be her father's choice. He wanted nothing to do with demons and she imagined he felt the only good demon would be a dead demon.

Or maybe no demons period.

A vague smile played at her lips. Then she jumped. It was not the clap of thunder that frightened her but the sound of the door unlocking. Lost in her thoughts, she did not realize what time it was.

"Mom? Dad?" she called, getting to her feet. She was surprised, and pleased, to see both of her parents home, glad that her father did not have any overtime for the first time in a long time. She smiled at them both, wanting to laugh at their drenched appearance.

"Have you spent all day here?" Annabelle asked, a playful tone to her voice.

"No," Abigail said, "I've just been here for a little over a half hour. By the way, I spent some time with Undertaker this afternoon. He wants you to hurry up and catch that demon because, as he says, burned guests are not good guests."

William's response was simply a raised eyebrow. Annabelle shook her head, sending little droplets of water everywhere. "Does he think we aren't trying?" William asked.

Abigail shrugged. She never knew what Undertaker meant. He was just too difficult for her to figure out.

To her surprise, after changing out of their wet clothes, the three of them settled down on the couch, Abigail comfortably between William and Annabelle. Her questions were given surprising answers.

There had been no fires to the reapers' knowledge that day, save for a small stable fire. It was not done by a demon but was a simple human accident. There were only three missing souls reported, the smallest amount in a week. Abigail was pleased; William and Annabelle were not.

"Her lack of eating is worrisome. With a hungry demon, you never know what they're planning."

"But Dad, wouldn't a hungry demon be an easier catch?"

William shook his head. "Not exactly."

Annabelle listened to the back and forth between the two of them, smiling faintly to herself. Things seemed to be getting back to normal. Or what she considered normal at least. Her eyes began to shut as the rain lulled her to sleep.

Abigail was the first to notice her mother sleeping. "I guess we bored her," she said with a smile. Her smile then vanished.

"I should probably go home," she told William. "I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong today. Or as right as things can be anyway." She looked at her mother and then back to her father.

"I'll walk you home," he told her, answering her unasked question.

"Is it going to be fine to leave her?"

He nodded. "It won't be long. She won't even know I've left."

The walk home started off quietly. Nearly halfway between the two apartments the two reapers had to dodge a small fireball. William quickly had his scythe in hand, looking for Katherine who hid in the shadows. "Your scythe, Abigail," William told her.

Abigail gulped. "I didn't bring it." How foolish!

"Abigail!" William began sternly. She nodded, knowing she was going to never hear the end of not taking her scythe with her, especially with a demon roaming free. However, she also knew she did not need her scythe to lure Katherine from her hiding place. She leaped to the nearest roof in the direction the fireball had come from.

She had made the right choice as she faced a grinning Katherine. Abigail watched as Katherine bounced a fireball from one hand to the other. "I never expected you'd come straight after me," Katherine told her. "Full of surprises, aren't we?"

"At least I'm not predictable!" Abigail went low, trying to knock Katherine down. Katherine laughed and dodged the attack, kicking Abigail in the ribs as she passed for good measure.

Abigail winced but did not cry out. Katherine stepped nearer to her, letting guard down. As she did, Abigail found the chance to sweep her legs out from under her. She rolled aside, not allowing Katherine to use her for a softer landing.

Katherine let out a shriek as she landed on all fours. "What is your problem with us?" Abigail demanded, grasping Katherine's wrist and twisting it.

Katherine smirked from behind a curtain of red hair. She dug her fingernails into Abigail's hand then flipped her. Abigail landed hard on her back but pulled Katherine along with her. As if from a distance, she heard William join the fray, his scythe striking just inches from her face.

"Wouldn't that be interesting," Katherine whispered, "his hitting you instead of me?"

"I'm not your shield!" Abigail managed to kick the demon off of her. She landed several feet away, avoiding one of William's attacks with a wall of flame. "There's two of us," Abigail pointed out, "going to run now?"

"I think not." Katherine tossed two fireballs at them. Abigail just managed to dodge hers. William jumped over his with ease and swung his scythe. Abigail was in awe. The demon who fled so often was now holding back two reapers, barely allowing any attacks to connect.

With a pang of guilt, Abigail wondered if Katherine would be fighting so well if she had brought her scythe with her.

Shaking her head, Abigail glanced around the shadowy rooftop to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon. The only thing she noticed was how much water the rain was leaving on the roof. Before she could think of how to use that as a weapon, she heard her father call a warning. Too late Abigail realized it was herself that would be going over the edge of the roof.


	16. Chapter 16

_Price of Freedom_

_I don't know if I'll get another chapter up tomorrow. It's grocery day. This chapter is short but I'm very happy with it._

_Chapter 16_

Abigail whimpered feebly, wondering for a moment where she was. Everything hurt, but she knew she would feel better soon. She felt a hand against her hair and the sounds of someone trying to soothe her. Remembering what happened before she came to who knows where, she jumped and pulled away.

"Abigail, calm down. Nothing is going to hurt you."

Abigail opened one eye nervously but managed a weak smile all the same. "Mom?" she asked.

"Who else?" Annabelle smiled back but Abigail could tell she was worried. Abigail tried to sit up but Annabelle kept her hands firmly against Abigail's shoulders. "Stay put," she told her.

Abigail did not like being told to stay put, but she knew better than to argue. "Where's Dad?" she asked softly.

Annabelle gave her a look that plainly said, _"I'll give you three guesses but the first two don't count." _She began to absently stroke Abigail's hair, not answering the question because she knew Abigail would realize the answer soon enough.

When she did, Abigail impatiently brushed her mother's hand away. "You let him go after that creature?" she demanded.

"You think I could stop him?" Annabelle shot back. "He brought you here and told me he was going to try to catch her. _Told _me, not _asked _me if he could."

Abigail leaned back and shut her eyes, allowing her mother to stroke her hair again. She dozed for a time until she felt a hand against her cheek. "She'll be fine," she heard her mother say. Opening her eyes again, she felt relief. William had joined them and he appeared to be fine, besides the anger she could sense him trying to hide.

"What happened?" Abigail asked, not moving from her spot.

"I did manage to injure her -"

" – But she ran away?" Annabelle and Abigail asked together. Abigail rolled her eyes. "How stupid of me," she mumbled. "We could have had her."

"Why didn't you have your scythe with you?" William demanded of her.

Ignoring her mother's surprise, Abigail meekly said, "I only expected to be here a short time. I did not think I'd need it tonight."

"You should always have it with you," Annabelle told her sternly.

"I think I learned that, Mom." Suppressing a yawn, she asked, "Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

Annabelle smiled to herself as she said, "Not at all."

* * *

><p>Katherine sulked in her hiding place. She was bitter, having been bested by that damn reaper yet again. "Tonight was my own fault," she told her reflection, ignoring the condition the Katherine in the mirror appeared to be in.<p>

Her hair was a tangled, dripping mess, her red eyes flashing with rage. There were tears in her clothing. What should have been more concerning, however, was also ignored. Blood blossomed along the front of her dress from a wound inflicted by the Shinigami.

She now realized that he had to be Daddy as he was highly protective of the younger reaper. Scowling now, she mentally kicked herself again. She had thought he had fled after collecting his child, so she took her time getting back to her secret hideaway. That was foolish of her and what caused her the loss against him.

With a sigh, she sank down onto the floor, the skirts of her dress spilling out around her. She knew the younger reaper wasn't dead and was probably just dazed. Even if she did manage to hit her with a fireball, it would take more than that to kill one.

She stretched out, lacing her fingers behind her head. Her boots scuffed the floor as she attempted to kick them off. She was weary and hungry but not in the mood to hunt. Even if "hunting" at night involved slipping into a bedroom and grabbing her prey as they slept.

"Which is no fun," she told the empty room. Katherine liked a fight. Just not _losing _a fight. When it came to humans, she always won, or almost always won. There was the exception of the mommy reaper letting her prey go.

There was a dull clunk against the floor as Katherine managed to kick off one of her boots. She had dealt with a few other reapers and had observed others without them noticing her, but it always seemed to be that one reaping family to confront her. She could not decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She kicked harder at her other boot, sending it flying across the room. It hit with the wall with a thud that seemed magnified in the silence. It did not bother Katherine. No one would be nearby this late at night. If they were and someone chose to investigate, well that would sate her hunger for the time being.

As she stretched out on the floor, her attention was finally brought to the wound still bleeding onto her dress. She frowned and ran her fingers along her stomach. When she pulled them away and looked at them, the tips were crimson with blood. Katherine laughed. It was all she could think of doing.


	17. Chapter 17

_Price of Freedom_

_So I imagine this is slowing down. I have a few endings in mind, just not sure which to go with. _

_Chapter 17_

The strangeness going in on London suddenly seemed to stop. There had been no seemingly random fires and the strange deaths also ceased. This had Abigail worried, however. But she was not the only reaper to be concerned.

She leaned against a decaying fence, arms crossed over her chest. Her mother leaned against a tree nearby in nearly the same manner. "Do you think Dad killed her?" she whispered, her voice carrying over to Annabelle despite her attempt at being quiet.

Abigail could not see her mother shake her head but she did hear her answer. "I doubt it. Your father might have stopped her temporarily but do not let your guard down."

Abigail nodded her head slightly. There was a part of her that had expected that answer. She shut her eyes and sighed softly as a warm breeze blew across her face. She still ached slightly from being knocked off a roof but she had worked through it.

She heard the wind blowing and the sound of running feet but still kept her eyes shut. The two had work to do on the East End and would be there all day. For some reason, Abigail found it safe, if it was much of anything at all.

Abigail's eyes opened slightly. She fought the urge to smile as she spotted the source of the running footsteps. Three children were playing nearby, chasing a large, excitable dog. Despite the threat of a demon lurking just out of sight, the parents still allowed their children out to play instead of holding them close like the higher society parents.

Perhaps they did not even know.

The dog barked in her direction once, wagging its tail as its way of showing it was thinking of charging at her and licking her into submission.

One of the children scolded the dog, tapping it on the nose with a finger. "Now Chewy, you don't want to get her fancy clothes all muddy!" Chewy barked in response which led to the three children tackling him. He did not nip or bite, instead choosing to let the children use him as their own personal plaything.

"Abigail."

She glanced up then nodded. "Let's go," she agreed.

She followed her mother away from the children. The idea of her mother impaling her dog on her death scythe entered her mind but she shook it away. Annabelle was not the type to hurt anything unless she had to. Except maybe Grell. Abigail thought her mother made an exception when it came to him.

There were two deaths in quick succession in a small three story apartment building only a block from where the children and dog played. Abigail stood close to her mother but waited patiently, ledger in hand, as Annabelle collected the souls of the soon to be departed.

The two of them were silent as they collected souls, working as smoothly as they possibly could together. Souls were collected and judgment completed as fast as they could do such without any mistakes.

Annabelle was the one to finally break the silence as the two leaned against a creaky old house. "We work well together," she remarked.

"I'm glad you think so," Abigail said, surprised by her mother's comment.

Annabelle shook her head slowly as she gathered her thoughts. When she spoke, she said, "I doubt you would want to work together unless you had to."

Abigail nodded. "I want to be able to succeed or fail on my own."

Annabelle nodded her understanding. It had taken a very long talk with William to get her to the point she was at now. Hearing Abigail say nearly the same thing her father had said struck her in a way she did not quite understand. However she told herself she would try to drop the protective mother act.

Grabbing her scythe, she glanced at Abigail and inclined her head. "Come on, we have a lot more work to do today."

* * *

><p>Katherine had been spending days resting and silently fuming. She had no idea how many days she had been hiding away, having lost track as she lay staring at the ceiling for hours. Her wound had healed quickly, despite being made by a Shinigami's death scythe. That was the only positive thing about it.<p>

She was starving. It had been only a few days, perhaps a week at most, since her last meal but it felt like an eternity.

Her bloodstained dress had been burned. Why she did it Katherine was not even sure. The Shinigami all surely must know what she looked like. "I suppose if humans find me here, they'll wonder why there's a bloody dress laying around." she told herself one evening. It might have been the third night. Or perhaps the fourth. She had lost track.

She sat up, knowing she looked like a mess. Her eyes skimmed over her wardrobe. To her astonishment, it was diminishing. A quick check of the purse she had taken from Tatianna showed she still had enough to replace the clothing she had lost.

Katherine caught herself nearly pouting and stopped immediately. Then she spotted a black gown she had bought as one of the first pieces in her clothing collection but had never worn it. It gave her an idea. Women in mourning were hard for anyone to ignore.

"By now those forgetful humans have probably forgotten all about me," Katherine murmured to herself. She scoffed as she changed into the black gown. Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail with a small black hat perched at an angle beside it. Black gloves and her black boots completed her look.

"Let's go change that."


	18. Chapter 18

_Price of Freedom_

_My apologies for these last few chapters being late. I have been in serious pain these past few days, haven't been able to sit and type much out. This should be finished within the next few days and I'd actually like to do something with Undertaker afterward._

_Chapter 18_

Katherine was enjoying herself immensely. She had already devoured the souls of two humans, both easy to trick. She also had not seen even a glimpse of a Shinigami. She smiled to herself, wondering if something had distracted all of them.

Whatever the reason for their absence, she was having a lucky night.

As the night wore on, however, she became a little bitter. Since it was late, every child would be fast asleep in their beds. There was something sweet about a child's soul. She had always assumed it to be due to their youthful innocence. Whatever the reason, she would not brave slipping into a child's bedroom to snack. She would not play stupid that night.

So Katherine found herself dealing with the "brave" drunkards in a small, crowded, somewhat smokey pub. The lies she told were always the same, that she was mourning the death of a very dear friend, always implying that this "friend" was male. The drunks out that late at night did not care what the reason was when woman joined them. All they knew was that there was a woman nearby, possibly lonely and single.

That was entirely the reason why she found herself with glasses and bottles, full of alcoholic drinks she did not care to know the names of, covering the table in front of her. She smirked to herself. She must have done something right, having only been in the pub for about a quarter of an hour.

Still playing the role of a mourner, she managed to look saddened easily. Her "sad" smiles were actually growing to be weary ones. The smells of the drinks mixing together were making her somewhat lightheaded. She had no idea how humans could stomach such things.

One man, an older fellow who reeked of cheap wine, seemed to take it upon himself to be her protector. As the younger men came by her table to express their sympathy, he would shoo them away with one hand.

Katherine would glance at them appreciatively if she heard their condolences and whisper her thanks.

When the older man, Katherine thought he said his name was Sean but was not sure due to his slurring, placed a "protective" arm over her shoulders, the urge to just burn the entire pub to the ground rose from deep inside. She did her best to suppress it but knew if he did anything else it would be difficult to fight.

She shrugged his arm off with a surprisingly casual effort. What took more effort was making her lower lip tremble. Tears refused to come.

The feel of something scratchy against her arm nearly made her jump. With a look of disgust, Katherine realized it was her drunken "hero". He had either fallen asleep or passed out, his face against her arm. She fought the urge to shiver but did manage to shove him off her arm. He fell across the table, sending drinks and glass tumbling to the floor.

Absently brushing her skirts in case any glass had landed on her, she rose from the table and made her way to the bar. "Don't mind Sean," the bartender told her. "He means well but he can't hold his drink."

"Thanks," she said softly. She leaned against the wood bar, ignoring how sticky it felt. "And thank you for not kicking me out. I would hate to cause you trouble."

"You're no trouble," he told her with a wink. "I don't care who comes in here, as long as they pay."

Katherine knew no one mourning would laugh at that, or anyone really, but she managed a small smile for him. "I should get home," she said, loud enough so that several men nearby heard her, "no one is going to miss me, of course, but with the things I have heard about happening..."

"Say no more. Looks like any one of these men would walk you home."

Katherine whispered her thanks again and headed for the door. One of the younger men was the first to reach her. With a nod of thanks, she hooked her arm in his offered arm and let him lead her out the door.

"Which way?" the man asked her, after introducing himself as Frederick. Katherine inclined her head to the left, intentionally leading him away from the direction she had come from.

The strange couple walked in silence until Frederick could not hold back a shudder. He then glanced over his shoulder.

"What is it?" Katherine asked.

"Nothing, I guess..." he told her. "Thought someone was behind us is all." He cleared his throat and then asked, "Is that how your friend died? As one of these mysterious deaths?"

Katherine wanted to smirk but held back. She nodded. "Oh yes. He was one of them."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Katherine nodded. She tried to ignore his constant glances over his shoulder as they walked. Finally he asked her if she felt like they were being watched.

"Not at all," she said, a snap in her voice.

"Where are we going?" Frederick asked. He had taken notice of the distance they had traveled. Between the feeling of being watched and not knowing where he was going but knowing he had traveled several blocks with Katherine now made him nervous.

"Not far at all now..." Katherine said.

Frederick gulped, glancing over his shoulder for the dozenth time. Then he hurried forward, hoping that she was right.

What Katherine did not realize was that they were being watched. A gloved hand tightened on the handle of a death scythe as the Shinigami above them leaped gracefully from building to building, ready to strike.


	19. Chapter 19

_Price of Freedom_

_I hope this chapter is more satisfying. I also have a kind of cute Shinigami oneshot coming either this afternoon or tomorrow most likely._

_Chapter 19_

Things were not going Frederick's way. He should have ran back to the safety of the pub once Katherine led him down a dark street. He did not and found himself unable to move just from a twirl of Katherine's finger.

"You really should have stayed in that pub of yours," she whispered darkly. "But now you get to join me for a meal."

She stepped slowly towards him, enjoying the fear radiating off him. He could not scream thanks to her, but his eyes darted wildly as though he expected some hero to appear from nowhere and rescue him.

Katherine grinned. No chance of that happening on her watch!

She planted her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward as though to kiss him. To Frederick's awe, she stopped suddenly, letting out a gasp of pain. He realized someone had come to his rescue as warm, sticky blood dripped on his face.

She released her strange, invisible grip on him, allowing him to slump into a ball on the grass. He knew he should leave and warn everyone at the pub about Katherine but he knew his feet would not support him. He laid there trying to appear small.

Katherine yanked the death scythe out of her shoulder and snarled. "You!" she spat. "I did not think I would have to deal with you again after I injured your precious daughter!"

"I thought demons were not so foolish as to attack dying souls." William tucked his ledger away in his suit jacket. "That man is due to die within the next twenty-four hours."

"You're bluffing," Katherine hissed.

"I do not bluff," William said, readying his scythe for another attack.

Despite his scythe having impaled her through the shoulder, Katherine was still able to dodge his attack with ease. William did not let that bother him. He had made a move before the fight had even started, a move she would not expect at all.

All he had to do was keep her at bay.

"I suppose you won't make this easy for me," he said, ducking a well aimed fireball. "I do so hate overtime."

"Do you?" Katherine asked sweetly. Her tone darkened as she added, "Well that can be solved easily!" She formed another ball of fire, but instead of throwing it, she toyed with it. The fireball was molded easily. Once she was satisfied with her work, Katherine laughed and lashed out towards William with her whip of fire.

He could dodge any blow she attempted but he could not block her whip as it wrapped around his scythe.

"Looks like you'll just have to deal with more overtime," she said with a shriek of laughter as the two of them struggled. Neither budged as he tried to free his scythe from her and she continued to hold on.

William scowled, knowing she was out of reach. He would not release his scythe for anything.

The sound of an engine roared through the night as Ronald Knox joined the fight, the pigeon William had sent to the dispatch perched happily on his shoulder. Ronald leaped from the nearest roof, his death scythe landing on the fire whip. The flames faded as Katherine released them.

"Another one?" she demanded. "Aren't you reapers sick of relying on each other?"

William ignored her and glared at Ronald. "Must you always make an entrance?"

Ronald could only shrug as he said, "I thought you wanted assistance. I was there when your message arrived."

"As was I~"

William sighed softly as Grell practically skipped between the two of them. He grinned at Katherine, making it clear he was going to enjoy the fight once it resumed.

"Don't forget us!"

Katherine turned, her eyes narrowed. Behind her stood Annabelle and Abigail. "Going to run now?" Abigail continued, her tone teasing.

Katherine was beyond fleeing. If she was going to lose to five reapers, she planned to at least put up some sort of fight. She grinned, laughing to herself as she bounced a fireball in her hand. She aimed at William but at the last second turned and tossed it towards Abigail instead. If she was going to take down one reaper, it would be the youngest.

Abigail knocked the fireball aside easily, nearly striking Frederick, who still cowered nearby. The ball of flame landed inches from his face, scorching the grass in front of him.

Katherine dodged an attack from Annabelle but it left her closer to the male reapers. She gasped as Grell aimed a kick towards her injured shoulder. She fell between the five of them but allowed them no closer. She formed a ring of flames long enough to regain her composure, then she released it, burning everything nearby.

Grell glanced down at the scorched tips of his hair and frowned. "You should know better than to mess with a lady's hair!" he shouted, jumping towards Katherine. He moved quickly, focusing on her injured shoulder as he did.

She only just dodged what would have been a killing blow from his death scythe. A pruning pole nipped at her, just missing her fingers. She tossed a few fireballs in the direction of the attack, hoping she hit someone.

"Ronald!"

"I'm on it!"

Katherine's eyes widened as pain shot up her arm. She had forgotten Ronald entirely. Not bothering to look down at her mutilated hand, she aimed a kick at Grell's face, astonishment registering on her face as she connected.

She clutched her arm to her chest, panting slightly as she realized she was going to lose this fight without hurting anyone as badly as they had already injured her. She tried one last time, creating a fireball with her good hand. Before it could fully form, she felt the killing blow of Grell's death scythe directly to her chest.

She watched, feeling nothing but curiosity, as her own cinematic record blossomed before them. She ignored her memories, memories of contracts and souls she had consumed long ago. Her attention was focused on Abigail, hiding behind her father but peering around his arm, curious of the memories of a demon.

Her eyes shut, blocking the sight of her memories and the reapers. When her records reached the end, she heard a snip and then nothing.

William heard a sigh of relief from Abigail. Then she asked, "What about him?"

William glanced over at Frederick and shook his head. "No one will believe him. His soul will be collected tomorrow anyway." Without looking at Katherine, he added, "Come on. I've had enough overtime for quite a while."


	20. Chapter 20

_Price of Freedom_

_This is just my little epilogue chapter. I hope it does enough to wrap this up._

_Chapter 20_

Abigail sat at her parents' kitchen table, her eyes shut blissfully. Her mother stood behind her, scissors in one hand and a lock of singed hair in the other. She had been wanting her hair trimmed anyway, Katherine had just given her an excuse to do it.

The kitchen was quiet, save for the sounds of snipping scissors, until William joined them. "Annabelle," he said, leaning against the wall as he waited for her to finish, "do be careful with those scissors. Those are Grell's."

Abigail swallowed a giggle. She knew how much Grell loathed being reminded of having to use scissors when he had been demoted.

"On second thought, do whatever you can to make them dull."

This time Abigail did laugh. Despite her hair and clothing being singed the night before, Abigail was very happy. There was no demon to bother them and with that, her parents would become far less protective than they had been recently.

While she would be walking with them this morning, she hoped she would be allowed to do her job on her own. If she knew her father well enough, she was sure he would make it so.

"Finished," Annabelle said, briefly placing her hands on Abigail's shoulders. She then passed the scissors to William and swept the locks of Abigail's hair she had placed on the table into her hands before discarding them. She then grabbed her scythe and added, "Let's go. We don't want to be late."

Abigail nodded, getting to her feet and collecting her own scythe. The three left the apartment in silence, with Abigail setting the pace several steps ahead of her parents.

Annabelle did not realize she was frowning until she felt William's hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him, then smiled and nodded once.

Abigail did not catch the little exchange between her parents. She rushed ahead, ready to not only get back to work, but to get back to a sense of normalcy. To her pleasure, she was allowed to work on her own since London had returned to normal due to Katherine's death.

Abigail sighed happily as she thumbed through her death list. Astonishingly, the young man whom Katherine had tried to lure into her clutches the night before was the first person on her list. With a small smile, she grabbed her scythe and set off to reap his soul.


End file.
